All He's Missing Is The Glasses
by CatNinja0122
Summary: Cathy really believed the one she thought of as a brother was dead. But the kitten she found was so much like him! All he's missing is the glasses...(AU where Durbe is killed by Vector. Rated to be super safe, just in case.)
1. Chapter 1: Different Forms

_"You're dead meat!"_

_Cathy watched in horror as Vector approached her. She knew she was going to die, right then and there, and nobody would be able to save her neck this time. The girl shut her eyes, ready to embrace death..._

_"Get away from her!"_

_Now she jolted up. No, it couldn't have been him, could it? But it was him! Cathy gasped when Durbe came jumping in between her and Vector, taking a blow meant for the girl and being sent flying into the air. She gulped when Vector went after him instead._

_"And you, Durbe. You shouldn't get in the way when I'm busy being insane."_

_"You're already insane! Now leave Cathy and I alone!"_

_"You know what? I'll leave the pitiful human alone. But you jumped in and interrupted. So instead, I'll kill _you._"_

_Cathy gasped and stood, ready to defend the person she thought of as a brother. They got along much better now that they knew more about one another, and actually began to think of each other as siblings. Both saved one another constantly, defending the other from everything from bullies on Earth to Vector on Barian World. And right now, Cathy wanted to defend Durbe._

_She wanted to defend the one she thought of as a brother._

_"Durbe! Let me help you!"_

_"No!"_

_"What do you mean 'no'?"_

_"I mean NO! Just run Cathy! Run back home and don't stop until you get there!"_

_Durbe didn't give her much of a choice. He opened a portal that led back to Heartland City right underneath her feet, and listened as Cathy shrieked and fell through. She clutched the side, however, and watched in horror as the wisteria colored Barian was stabbed by the insane gray one. Durbe screamed in pain, then cried out when Vector sent him flying through the air. Cathy couldn't watch anymore._

_With tears streaming down her cheeks that mixed with the spattering blood from Durbe's wounds, she let her grip on the edge go, just tumbling back down to Earth as the portal's entrance closed before her eyes..._

XxXxXxXx

It had been almost a year since the day he'd died. Cathy could still hear Durbe's screams of pain from it all. That was all she heard in her dreams, and it was all she saw as well. Yuma and the others had tried to coax her out of it, but nothing seemed to work. Her friend had been murdered by Vector, and she knew she'd never see him again.

_Well...I still have my cats_, Cathy thought to herself. She stroked the cat that was nearest her, then got up from her spot on the bed and walked away. The gray-haired cat fanatic stared out the window of her mansion. Her eyes looked around at everything, taking in all the scenery. Everything was perfect. But what Cathy saw next to the road made her shriek in terror.

By the side of the road lay a small kitten.

"Oh my goodness! Who would do something so terrible?!" Cathy ran out the door. She nearly tripped over one of her many cats as she did, then knelt beside the kitten when she got there. The girl gasped when she felt a pulse on it. Cathy didn't dare wait even a second longer to lift the kitten up and run back into the mansion. She gently set it on the couch, then checked for broken bones. The only one (If any.) she could find was the tail.

Cathy was relieved. She would've gone into mental shock had there been any other injuries. It had to have happened only recently, for when Cathy lifted the kitten's tail, she got blood all over her hand. With a snort, she lifted the kitten and examined the rest of it.

"So you're a boy. Well you're very wise to have played possum like that by the road after getting your tail squished." Cathy giggled. She stared at the kitten in her arms. He had a very unusual pattern on his fur. Most of it was pale, like her skin, but past his neck and a bit down the shoulders, it was white. On top of that was black. Almost like a vest and shirt. And his ears were light gray.

Cathy couldn't help but stay glued to her new little companion. He was so adorable. The gray-haired girl set the kitten down, then watched as his eyes opened slowly. Cathy couldn't believe what color they were. They were smokey-gray, with a small hint of wisteria in them.

_All he's missing is the glasses,_ Cathy thought. She shook her head quickly, telling herself not to think about..._him_ too much, and pay attention to her kitten. A small smile crossed Cathy's lips. She had been doing studies on different versions of Durbe's name days after he had died.

And now, she had the perfect name for this kitten.

"I think I'll call you Dumon," Cathy whispered. She watched in amusement as Dumon's eyes lit up. It appeared he liked the name. The kitten rubbed against Cathy's side, mewing and purring in delight as the girl ran her hand through his fur. Cathy chuckled, deciding Dumon needed something that would mak him stand out from a distance from all the other cats and kittens. The gray-haired got up and ran off for a moment, then came back with a scarf. It looked like the much smaller version of Durbe's. With a smile, Cathy tied it around Dumon's neck without him even struggling.

He purred instead.

Cathy giggled as she lifted Dumon up. She had a feeling they would get along just fine.

XxXxXxXx

"Come here, kitties! Time to eat!" Cathy called, setting down multiple bowls of cat food. She watched all 200 of her cats come running, which jumped down and started eating from the bowls. Cathy smiled, then frowned when she noticed something was missing. No, not _something_, _someone. _Only 199 of her cats were there, now that she thought about it and looked around. The girl gasped when she realized who wasn't there.

Dumon had not joined the other cats and kittens for dinner.

"Where could he be at?" The gray-haired girl walked out of the room. She looked everywhere, trying to find the kitten she had fallen in love with recently. It was hard to believe a week had already passed by. Cathy was, for some reason, closer to Dumon than any of her other 199 cats and kittens. Maybe it was because he looked so familiar...

_No! Stop that kind of thought!_ Cathy told herself. She looked in the library of the mansion, then gasped. Dumon was on the table, nose buried in a book. Cathy couldn't believe it.

The kitten was _reading_ a book.

"How...is that possible? You know what, it's not. I bet I left it out and it was open the whole time." Cathy set the bowl of food she'd brought with her next to Dumon. He glanced at it, then scooted it a little farther and continued to read. Cathy was stunned. She placed the bowl on the ground, mumbling something in a confused tone and closing the door. Dumon meowed and returned his attention to the book completely.

Though she'd ever admit it, Cathy had been right when she thought Dumon had gotten the book himself. He had literally climbed onto the shelf and knocked it onto the table, then began to read.

But it wasn't like Cathy would ever really believe that thought.

XxXxXxXx

The bowl Cathy had set out for Dumon was still full when she walked into the library to check on him. One hour had passed, and the kitten still had not even touched the bowl. He was still buried in the book. As Cathy took a closer look at it, she recognized what book it was. It was the one Durbe had been reading right before he died.

"Oh my god...it's not possible. It's just not possible."

Cathy was wrong though. It was possible. She refused to believe it, but the truth was in front of her eyes. The one she'd come to think of as a brother had been brought back one final time, as a kitten that nearly got killed anyway. Dumon stared up at her with his wisteria and gray eyes. He blinked, then purred and shut the book. To make Cathy happy, he jumped from the table and began to eat the cat food she had placed out. Cathy stared, motionless for a second, then smiled, all thoughts of Durbe coming back as Dumon evading her mind completely. Maybe it was a crazy thought, but Cathy knew it was true. Deep down in her heart.

Though, she would _never_ admit it to anyone, not even herself.

**Okay, so I may make this a chapter story. If it gets up to 5 reviews, I'll make it a chapter story. SO REVIEW IF YOU WANT A CHAPTER STORY!**


	2. Chapter 2: Truths Be Told

Okay, as I promised! A new chapter for this story! Hope ya like it, it mainly goes into detail of how this happened. I'll get more into the story next chapter.

Dumon's wisteria and gray eyes opened slowly. He stared at Cathy, who was fast asleep beside him. The kitten purred softly and nuzzled Cathy's side. When she didn't wake, Dumon shrugged and jumped from the bed.

Snow was falling gently from the sky. In the window sat Dumon, watching the flakes as they floated down, sticking to the ground and sparkling in the small bit of light.

_It's so pretty_, Dumon thought._ I can't wait until Cathy wakes up. Then I can drag her outside and tell her the truth._

Dumon did not have to wait for very long. Only seconds later, Cathy came skipping around the corner. She smiled and scratched Dumon's ears, then watched as he leapt from the window and ran out the door.

"Hey! Wait for me Dumon!" Cathy called. She pulled her nearest jacket on, then slid some shoes on her feet and followed the eager kitten out the door. Dumon jumped out of a small pile of snow, scattering the chilled substance in many directions. He seemed to be chuckling as he was lifted by Cathy.

They just stayed there for a moment, wisteria and grey eyes meeting blue and green ones. And finally, Dumon scrambled up a little bit, then placed his paws on either of Cathy's shoulders and leaned against her in a kitty hug. Cathy found herself to be blushing for some reason.

"Um...okay. This is strange."

"How come you think it's strange?"

Cathy shrieked and dropped Dumon. He yelped and landed on his feet, sending snow spurting multiple directions. The gray-haired girl that had dropped him cupped her hands over he mouth and gasped. She slowly bent down and lifted the kitten from the snow, staring at him with wide eyes.

"You...can talk?! How is that possible?"

"Because I'm someone you know."

"What?"

"Take me inside, sis. I'll explain everything."

XxXxXxXx

Cathy watched as Dumon padded across the floor in circles. He yawned, then jumped on the gray-haired girl's lap. She stroked his silky fur, staring down at him as he purred.

"So, how is it possible you can talk?"

"Well Cathy, you may not recognize me at the moment. But you knew me as Durbe the last time you saw me."

Cathy's eyes went wide, and her jaw dropped to the floor.

"N-No way. Vector killed you! How is this possible?!"

"He didn't kill me, Cathy. He turned me into a kitten to get me out of his life."

"Weird. Wanna tell me what's up?"

"I planned on it."

XxXxXxXx

_Vector cackled maniacally. He stood over Durbe's body, just glaring at him. The blood dripped from the wound in his chest. As Vector was about to walk away, he whipped around when he heard moaning coming from behind him._

_And what he saw was not what he was expecting to._

_Durbe sat up slowly, his arms clutched around his wound. His eyes met Vector's, and the two had a stare down for a while. Finally, Vector glared and stepped back to see the wisteria Barian before him._

_"How's it possible? I killed you. You should be dead."_

_"Well I'm not. And I'll make sure you'll pay for trying to hurt Cathy."_

_"You mean your little sister?"_

_"She's...not my sister. I just think of her as one," Durbe groaned. He shook himself off, then shakily stood up. Wincing, he gripped the hilt of the knife and, with a sudden cry of pain, yanked it out of his chest. Vector snickered and knocked the wisteria Barian down to the ground._

_"You're pathetic," Vector mused. "Absolutely pathetic. You let your guard down for one second, and now look at yourself! I've just about put an end to your life. But since it just wouldn't be life without you, I'll spare you."_

_"H-Huh?"_

_"But you'll stay out of my life." Vector snapped his fingers. Durbe suddenly felt dizzy. He tried, but it didn't matter how much he fought it. In a matter of seconds, he was knocked out. Not just that, but he was also a kitten now. Vector snickered. He grabbed Durbe by the scruff of his furry neck, then opened a portal that led back to Earth. "Beat it, kitty," he said, dropping the small kitten down the portal._

_Where Durbe ended up, he wasn't sure. All he knew is when he opened his eyes, he was on Earth. Durbe stood up wobbly, then glared and looked around. He instantly felt pain in his tail. The kitten turned and gulped, seeing the tire mark on it. _

_Boy, had he come close to death. Already? How pathetic._

_Durbe let out a whimper and limped to the side of the road. He swayed left and right for a second, then just fell onto his stomach, out cold from everything._

XxXxXxXx

Cathy blinked, stopping the scratching of Dumon's ears. The kitten smiled up at her, and gently rubbed against her arm. He purred. Though multiple thoughts were racing through her mind, Cathy couldn't help but smile.

She was just glad Durbe was okay after all.

"Well I guess that makes sense. But if Vector kept you alive, there has to be some sort of plan. Right? He doesn't just do that sort of thing unless he has a reason."

"That is true." Dumon let out a small yawn. His tail swished from side to side as he laid against Cathy. The girl smiled at him. "But I'm sure I don't know what it is. Vector wants me out of his life. So why not just kill me? He's not one to pitty people."

"That's my point. To be honest, I think maybe Vector did a little more than turn you into an adorable kitten."

Now Dumon looked up with curious eyes. He raised an eyebrow, ready to hear the explanation Cathy had in mind.

"I think he only turned your Barian half into a kitten. You probably still have your human half, which would make you a neko now."

"What makes you think that?"

"I doubt you'd look so much like your human half as a kitten if he'd turned all of you into one."

"Okay. Yeah, I can see where that's from."

Now there was something to think about. If Vector really had turned him into a neko, how come Dumon couldn't change back to being at least human?

_Maybe I just haven't perfected the skill yet_, Dumon thought. He smiled upon thinking about this. If he was a neko now, maybe at least he could be somewhat normal by being human. Dumon lay against Cathy, simply thinking everything from the last few minutes over again.

XxXxXxXx

"Finally. He's out of my life!" Vector said, laughing as well. Mizael rolled his eyes. He wasn't to happy Durbe had been turned into a kitten, that was for sure.

"Why did you do it?"

"Because. I needed that miserable furball out of my life."

"What did he do to you?"

"He jumped in the way when I was going to kill his precious sister. Well now he's going to regret it."

Mizael raised an eyebrow. "So by turning him into a kitten, that's magically going to make him regret this?"

"No blondie. I turned him into a neko, half human and half cat. He has the ability to change forms. And once he's changed between cat and human ten times, BOOM! It'll kill him!" Vector cackled and stared at Mizael with beady eyes. The Barian behind him gasped, then glared at Vector. This was going too far.

And he wasn't going to allow it to get to that point.


	3. Chapter 3: Safety Measures

Dumon was curled at Cathy's side. He was purring softly, allowing the girl to scratch his ears and pet his fur. The kitten meowed and climbed on top of Cathy. She smiled, holding him close.

"I still can't believe you're a neko, Durbe. It's kinda weird to think about."

"Yes it is. I still need to perfect the skill of switching forms, though."

"It would be nice if you could."

"Yes..." Dumon trailed off. His gray and wisteria eyes were locked on a nearby plant, and he was staring at it as if it were going to attack him if he didn't. Cathy chuckled. She watched as Dumon shook himself off and yawned, laying on her chest. For some reason, Cathy was blushing madly.

They were silent for a moment. Finally, with a purr, Dumon sat up and licked the side of Cathy's face. She blinked, then looked the kitten in the eye.

"Um...what was that just now?"

"The kiss?"

"Yeah. What's up with that?"

"I just feel safer around you." Dumon smiled and meowed as Cathy stroked his fur. Okay, affection was still in his brain. That was a nice thing to know. Cathy smiled sweetly as she held the kitten close. He jumped up and leapt onto the floor, barely missing the coffee table. Dumon shut his eyes and focused a little bit. Suddenly, he was engulfed in a bright light.

And just as suddenly, he was no longer Dumon the kitten. He was Durbe the human. Cathy gasped, then smiled as the gray-haired stared at her. Durbe chuckled, standing up and then sitting right by Cathy on the couch. As she threw her arms around him in an affectionate hug, Durbe could feel a very small pain starting to grow in his heart. It was easy to ignore, so that's what he did. Rather, he just held Cathy close in a protective fashion.

Like how an older brother who cared would for his younger sister.

XxXxXxXx

Mizael growled when he landed on the sidewalk. He hated coming to Earth. Humans disgusted him majorly, and he still couldn't wrap his mind around how protective Durbe was over Cathy. It just didn't make any sense to him.

"Now, where are they?" The blond muttered to himself as he walked away. He made sure to watch where he was going, being careful to look at each and every mansion. None of them were the right one, though. He didn't feel like any of them were correct, for some reason.

That was, until a cat went rushing out past him. Mizael looked up at the mansion. Cats and kittens were running around it and were perched on every window. It made it obvious this was the correct mansion. The blond sighed and walked through the gates, then up the stairs. He peered through the window, widening his eyes when he saw Cathy and Durbe. Mizael growled and knocked on the window. Instantly, Cathy jerked her head up, then gasped when she and the Barian outside met eye-to-eye.

"Oh my god. Not happening. Just not happening," Cathy muttered. She got up, walking to the door and readying herself to unlock it. Durbe followed right behind her. As the door opened slowly, Cathy felt herself begin to shudder just a little bit. Mizael always did freak her out for some reason.

"What are you doing here?" Durbe asked, staring up at Mizael with curious eyes. The blond gently shoved him aside, then sat on the couch. Cathy rolled her eyes and shut the door, then dragged Durbe behind her as she went back to the couch as well. All three sat there in silence for a moment, just wondering if anything awkward was going to happen.

Oh wait. It already_ was_ happening.

"I came here to warn you two about something."

Cathy and Durbe looked up simultaneously at Mizael. His sky-blue eyes were filled with worry. Durbe raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at the blond before him.

"What do you mean, Mizael?"

"Vector didn't just make you a neko. No, he did something much worse. How many times have you changed forms?"

"Umm...," went Durbe, trying to think. "About four. I've been trying to perfect the skill."

"Well stop. Just stop before..."

"Before what?" Cathy asked, a look of fear slowly forming in her eyes.

Mizael hesitated. He didn't wish to freak these two out, but did he really have a choice? There wasn't exactly a way to say something like this without scaring them in the process. With a sigh, Mizael finally decided to just blurt it.

"If Durbe changes forms ten times, Vector has made it so he will literally explode."

They froze. Durbe gulped. That explained the pain that grew in his heart every time he switched forms. Cathy blinked in shock, then latched onto Durbe's arm as if it would prevent him from going that way. Mizael only nodded when they looked up at him, pleading for it not to be true. If only that dream could become a reality.

"So...s-so you're saying that if I'm not careful and my amount of times changing forms goes up to ten, I'm literally going to explode?!" Durbe grabbed Mizael's shirt collar and looked him in the eye as he blurted this. The blond nodded. He watched as Durbe's eye twitched when he stood, then ran off. Cathy gasped and began to run after him. She was stopped by Mizael, however, who shook his head.

"Do not bother him right now. He needs time to sort this out."

"He also needs the comfort of his little sister." Cathy didn't waste one more second being distracted by Mizael before running away to catch up with Durbe. On her bed he sat, curled in a little ball in his cat form. Cathy sighed and sat down beside him, then lifted him up and held him close. The kitten mewed, but did nothing more than that. Mizael walked in at around that time, staring at the two curled on the bed.

Another small meow came from Dumon. He sniffled, then forced himself from Cathy's grasp and hid under her pillow. The girl sighed and walked away, dragging Mizael behind her. He protested and tried to get away, but Cathy had a strong grip. Mizael growled and allowed her to drag him to the living room. She let go of him, then glared. "Sit," she commanded.

"No. I don't have to listen to a pitiful human."

"Listen to me blondie. You better sit on that couch before I tear you limb for limb. I'm trying to get some more answers in the hopes of helping Durbe. Now, are you going to sit, or am I going to have to force you to sit? Because either way, you'll be on that couch."

Mizael looked stunned. He sat on the couch instantly after that. Cathy snorted and looked him in the eye.

"That's what I thought. Now listen to me. I want answers to how the whole explosion thing occurred."

"I honestly don't know much about it."

"Then tell me what you know."

"Fine. All I know is that Vector didn't just turn Durbe into a neko. He made it so that once he has changed between cat and human ten times, he will literally explode. I am not sure how or why Vector did this. I only know he has and that there may not be a way to stop it from happening."

"I see.." Cathy trailed off, staring at the ground. She watched Mizael vanish, then walked back into her room. Dumon was sitting there, nose buried in yet another book. Cathy smiled sweetly and sat by the kitten, petting him and attempting to calm him down. As soon as she heard his purring, she knew it was working. Though she had a smile on the outside, she was scowling on the inside.

_I won't allow you to hurt Durbe, Vector, _she thought. _He will stay safe with me, and you won't have a claw on him. He won't explode, either. That, I can guarantee,_


	4. Chapter 4: Childsplay

"Dumon!" Cathy called. She had been looking for the kitten all day. It wasn't like him to hide like this. Normally, he was brave and faced stuff like this head on.

Well, not this time, apparently.

"Dumon!" Cathy tried again. Still no answer. The gray-haired girl frowned. "This isn't good. Where's he at?" She walked back into the library one last time. Dumon wasn't in there. Now she decided to try the kitchen. 199 of her cats were there. But Dumon was not among them. He was the missing single.

Cathy sighed. There was only one place she hadn't checked yet, and that was outside. She put her jacket on, then walked out there after finding her shoes. The snow had frozen over and become ice during the night, so it didn't crack that easily. As Cathy went towards the fence, she gasped.

Tiny claw marks were all over the ice in the area. And by the looks of them, Cathy knew they belonged to a kitten.

Dumon.

"Oh man," Cathy muttered. She followed where the marks lead, then stared directly up.

Sure enough, in the tree lay Dumon.

"What are you doing up there?"

"Trying to hide from my problems."

That was a new one. Cathy raised an eyebrow, then began to climb up the tree herself. She noticed that Dumon didn't even flinch when she got next to him. The girl ran a hand through his fur. Nothing. Not even a meow.

"Oh c'mon. You can't just live in this tree, Dumon. There's no way," Cathy said. She watched Dumon shake his head.

"I'm not coming down. It's not safe down there where I could..."

"Don't even say it. I won't let that happen, do you understand me? Not gonna happen!"

"But Cathy..."

"No buts! I won't let this happen! I'll find a way to prevent it. And I won't rest until I do!"

"Or until it's too late."

Cathy glared. She rolled her eyes, then climbed all the way into the tree and sat by Dumon. The kitten looked up at her with dull gray and wisteria eyes. It was hard to tell just how long he'd been up in that tree, but judging by the ice that clung to his fur, Cathy assumed it had been a while since his paws touched the actual ground. She began to scratch his ears, trying to persuade him to come down from the icy perch. Dumon didn't do a thing at first.

But soon, he leapt from the branch, sending snow flying as he hit the ground. Cathy chuckled and followed, landing right next to the kitten.

"You see? There's nothing to be afraid of Dumon. Just stop changing forms, and you'll be fine," Cathy whispered, placing two of her fingers on top of Dumon's paw.

"I suppose so," Dumon agreed. He rolled over, shaking the ice off his fur. The wisteria and gray eyes stared at the shimmering substance that was around them.

Vector simply chuckled when Mizael returned. The blond was glaring at him, extremely unhappy with the gray Barian.

"You're mental. How dare you try and make Durbe go like that!" Mizael yelled. All he got in response was yet another crazed laugh.

"Trust me Mizael, you'll thank me later."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because. I know you're just as sick of all Durbe's rules as I am. C'mon, admit it. You don't want to deal with him anymore."

Mizael flinched. Sure, sometimes Durbe's rules were a little much for him. But even if he did agree completely with Vector, he would never want him to explode! That's just a little over the top.

"Vector, sometimes Durbe does go a bit overboard with his rules, that I agree on. But I don't think you should make him explode because of this!"

"Who cares what you think?" Vector spat. He chuckled, then simply vanished. Mizael let out a low growl.

"Simpleton. That's all he is. Well whatever, he isn't going to make Durbe explode. It's just not going to happen." The blond Barian walked away, readying himself to protect Durbe and Cathy from Vector. (Though he wanted nothing to do with Cathy. Durbe would freak out of she wasn't included.)

XxXxXxXx

That night, more snow continued to fall. Dumon and Cathy were curled up together again, sleeping soundly. All seemed peaceful at the moment.

Well, that whole "at the moment" thing passed just as quickly as it came. Dumon had awoken for some unknown reason. He soon found himself staring out the window, watching each delicate flake fall and touch the ground softly.

That was about when he spotted the creepy black figure standing motionless in the snow.

"What the? Cathy! Cathy wake up!" Dumon yelled, roughly shaking Cathy. She woke up instantly, sitting up with a start and staring at the kitten who'd been shaking her.

"Dumon? What's wrong?"

"There's something outside!"

Cathy peered out the window. Sure enough, the figure was still out there. Now that they took a closer look, they could tell just who it was.

Vector.

Dumon let out a terrified yell. "Gah! No! Cathy save me! I don't wanna die!" The kitten fled under Cathy's pillow again. She sighed, then stared back out the window. Vector was no where to be found. Either he was somewhere else in the yard, or he had done that just to spook them.

Whichever one it was, Cathy didn't care.

"Hey Dumon, he's gone. You can come out now."

Dumon's small head poked out from under the pillow. He gulped, then bolted to Cathy's side and began to tremble against her. The gray-haired girl ran a hand through his fur and sighed. Vector had succeeded in scaring them senseless. That much was for sure.


	5. Chapter 5: Forcing the Pain to Grow

Vector smirked as he neared the mansion's fuse box. This was the perfect plan. Slowly, he opened the panel and began staring at the various switches. They were all marked so Cathy could easily fix a power outage if it were to happen. Vector chuckled under his breath as he flicked one of the switches. Instantly, the lights that had been on, were now forced off, sending the house into a very disturbing blackness.

That was perfect for Vector. It may have only been temporary, but still, better than nothing. He smirked and crept through one of the windows that had been open for fresh air, then looked around. His eyes having been trained to see in the dark, it was not hard to see where he was going. Vector made sure not to disturb any of the cats that were sleeping around him as he crept through the house.

As soon as he found Cathy and Durbe, he was going to do something so drastic that it forced Durbe to change his form five more times and make him explode.

XxXxXxXx

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"He's gone, Dumon. Just because the power is out doesn't mean he's here."

"O-Okay." Dumon poked his head out from the pillow again. He had hidden under Cathy's pillow as soon as he thought he heard another noise, and he hadn't bothered to come back out. Cathy listened to the silence for at least twenty minutes.

And she hadn't heard a thing.

"Trust me, it's fine. I'm sure there's nothing going on here now. Vector isn't outside, an I'm positive he isn't in the house."

"Alright then."

Cathy smiled and gently took Dumon's paw in her hand. His gray and wisteria eyes blinked up at her, and he smiled as well. The small kitten bounced on top of the gray-haired girl, purring and meowing as he was petted. Dumon refused to let go of Cathy's hand, though.

_Strange behavior, _Cathy thought. She didn't care. If he was happy, she was happy. Dumon smiled up at her, then jumped up and literally kissed her on the cheek. Cathy blushed, then began to scratch the kitten's ears.

A crash came from downstairs. Dumon and Cathy froze instantly, then slowly turned their attention to the staircase. In the dark, it was sorta hard to see. The only source of light was the candle Cathy had out seconds after the chandelier had zapped away. She lifted it up slowly, then began to walk down the stairs. Dumon gulped and followed.

He was not looking forward to what was ahead.

They both stepped down the stairs one by one. Cathy blinked, staring at everything she could see. Behind her trailed Dumon, who was extremely tense at the moment. He could hear other footsteps in the house, ones that did not belong to him or Cathy.

And that really freaked him out.

BANG! Another sound was heard from far away in the mansion. Dumon yelped. He froze when he saw a figure run through the shadows. The kitten jumped in front of Cathy and pushed her back.

"I saw something run by," Dumon whispered. He watched Cathy nod slowly, then take two or three more steps forward. The girl let out a shriek when something grabbed her from behind. Instantly, Dumon's attention was on Cathy and her attacker.

And shocker, it was Vector.

"Gah! Get off me Vector!" Cathy yelled, struggling against the grip on her. It didn't change too much. Vector grabbed the candle from the girl's hand and shook his head, smirking as he set the object on the table.

"No. That won't happen, Cathy."

"Let her go!" Dumon charged forward and tackled Vector. The orange-haired and the kitten rolled on the floor, scratching and biting at each other. Cathy ran away for a moment, then came running back with the sharpest cat-clawed gloves she owned on her hands. Pouncing into the squabble on the floor, she began to help out by clawing large marks that oozed blood on Vector's arms.

For a while, nothing but a little bit of rolling around happened. But soon, Cathy was thrown off. She yowled as she fell into the table. Dumon gasped and hissed. When Cathy realized what the kitten was planning on doing, she gasped.

"Don't do it!"

"I haven't got a choice."

A bright flash flew through the room. In a second, there stood Durbe. He winced a bit, the pain in his heart growing slightly, but then stood all the way up and tackled Vector. They rolled around, Durbe throwing more punches and making sure to dodge ones that were thrown at him.

"Fool! You're going down! But at the moment, you're going up." Vector smirked as he threw Durbe into the air. He yelped, nearly hitting the ceiling and having no way to land without killing himself. Unless...

Another flash, and Dumon the kitten was back. He hissed when the pain grew, but landed cleanly on his paws. Cathy gulped. In her head, she had been counting how many times now he'd switched forms.

She was up to seven.

_That's right, _Vector thought. _Keep on switching forms. Just do it three more times and you'll be out of my life permanently._

Both charged in in one another. Dumon took a surprise jump and bit Vector's arm, then swung around and scratched him directly under the eye. The orange-haired growled and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, then just held him there. Dumon struggled to get down, paws flailing in the air like he was insane.

"Well kitty cat?" Vector mused, getting in Dumon's face. "How are you going to get out of this one?"

"Like this!" The kitten bit Vector's arm. He yelped and dropped him.

Okay, that was enough for now. The lights would be coming back on any moment. Vector chuckled lowly under his breath.

"It seems you have really dealt yourself quite the dish of pain, hmm Dumon? Shame. Oh well. What are you up to now anyway? Seven? That means you only have three more chances before you go ka-boom." The orange-haired laughed and vanished.

And seconds later, the lights flicked back on. Dumon was breathing quickly and heavily. Not from the fighting, though. From the changing forms.

"Dumon!" Cathy yelled. She bent down and lifted the kitten up, looking right into his gray and wisteria eyes. "Dumon! Wake up! Wake up!"

"I'm okay. The pain in my chest just grew a little, that's all."

"A little? Bull. You can't hardly breathe!"

"I'll be fine. Trust me." The kitten forced a smile. Cathy blinked away the tears in her eyes, then sighed and nodded. She stood all the way, then walked up the stairs to her room. The gray-haired placed Dumon on the bed, where he mewed softly and lay down. Cathy jumped under the covers, holding the kitten close.

She needed help. If she didn't find somebody that could help her protect Dumon, he'd be gone in no time flat! That's when the thought hit her. _Of course! _she thought. _He can help us so much!_

With a satisfied smile, Cathy shut her eyes and fell asleep.

Oh yeah. This plan was perfect.


	6. Chapter 6: Protection?

"Cathy, I don't like this."

"C'mon Dumon. Just trust me!"

"You know I don't like humans. I only trust you. But him? Not gonna happen!"

"Please? At least give it a try. He's worked lots and lots of miracles."

Dumon sighed. He shut his eyes, then growled. "Fine," he hissed. Cathy smiled and lifted the kitten from the sidewalk. He meowed and snuggled against her. The gray-haired girl walked away, petting the small kitten in her arms. In the distance, they could see the house they were trying to find.

Yuma Tsukumo's house.

"Cathy. I really don't think he's the best option." Dumon looked up as he said this. He gained a shrug from Cathy.

"I told you, he'll help us out majorly."

"Doubt it."

"Stop being so negative!"

"Hmph."

Cathy picked up speed, running around a few corners and taking shortcuts to get to Yuma's house quicker. The whole time, Dumon's breathing continued to get a little heavier and faster. He thought when Cathy said she knew a guy that could help protect them, maybe she meant someone strong like Shark or Kite.

But no, she'd meant Yuma.

"Yuma! Yuma open this door!" Cathy yelled, pounding on the door furiously. It took about five minutes of audible thumping from the inside before the door flew open. Yuma stood there, his eyes half open and a chocolate bar hanging out of his mouth.

"What are you doing here this early in the morning, Cathy?"

"I'll tell you as soon as you tell me why you're eating a chocolate bar this early in the morning."

"Gah, we don't have time for this Cathy!" Dumon growled and dropped from the girl's grasp. This startled Yuma, who yelped and backed away a bit. Dumon stared up at him with a glare. "Yes, I talked. Don't make a big fuss over it. Just let us inside and we'll explain everything."

Yuma stood there, frozen. Finally, he nodded and backed away, allowing Dumon and Cathy to enter. Cathy jumped on the couch and lifted Dumon up, then motioned for Yuma to do the same. The pink and black-haired closed the door and hesitantly sat down by them.

"So, gonna tell me?"

"Yes. You remember Durbe, right?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, he's been turned into a neko."

"Huh?" Yuma looked down at Dumon. It took him a good ten minutes, but soon enough, he figured it out. With a startled yelp, Yuma fell off the couch, barely missing the coffee table as he did. Dumon snickered and stared down at him with a very familiar glare.

"It took you long enough," Dumon said, jumping down and landing on Yuma. The pink and black-haired gulped, not liking being in the presence of this one again.

Silence. Very awkward silence.

"Cathy, what do you need me for?" Yuma asked, staring up at Cathy curiously. The gray-haired girl sighed and shut her eyes.

"Vector nearly killed Dumon and I last night. We need someone to protect us."

"And you expect me to do that?"

"Well it was a choice among you, Shark or Kite. And I know Shark and Kite wouldn't do it. So yes, I expect you to do that."

"Um...well okay then." Yuma lifted Dumon and set him on the couch, then sat up and stared at them. It was around that time Cathy gasped, then slapped herself in the forehead.

"There's a little more to this story, Yuma, that I forgot to tell. I'll also need you to keep Dumon from switching forms. If he does it three more times, he's literally going to explode!"

Yuma's eyes went wide with fear. "E-Explode?" he repeated. "You mean like, ka-boom explode?"

"Yes!"

"I won't let you down then!"

Cathy smiled and nodded. She looked down at Dumon, who made a snort like sound of half approval.

_I knew I picked the right person,_ Cathy thought, stroking the kitten on her lap.

XxXxXxXx

Mizael was beyond angry at the moment. He'd heard what Vector had done to Cathy and Durbe the previous night, and to say the least, he was _not_ happy. Not at all.

"Vector! Where the hell are you?! Show yourself you coward!"

"I'm right here, Blondie. You don't have to shout."

Now the blond Barian whipped around. He stared right at Vector, who chuckled. Mizael growled and swung a punch at the gray Barian. He was stunned when Vector caught it, then smacked it away with a cocky look.

"How did you..."

"It doesn't matter _how_, Mizael. All that matters is _why_ I did that to Cathy and Durbe."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to force Durbe to kill himself. Don't you remember? If he changes forms ten times, he's history. Again! And so far, he's up to seven. I'm so close, Mizael. So close to freedom."

"You're so close to me knocking you senseless, that's what."

Vector simply laughed. "Well, you can do what you please in attempt to protect him. But keep in mind, it most likely won't work. I already have the perfect plan." Before Mizael could say or do anything else, the insane Barian that had once been sitting there was gone. Mizael let out a growl, then shook his head.

_That man is more than insane. I don't even have a word to describe it more! Now, I need to find out just where Durbe and Cathy are and track them down, then help protect them. I guess I'll do that tonight, so Vector will have absolutely no idea. _With a nod of satisfaction, Mizael was gone, too.

XxXxXxXx

Dumon's eyes snapped open when he heard a sound in the house. He and Cathy had stayed with Yuma for the time being, just to make sure they were safe.

Well, unless it was a lucky time of being wrong, they weren't safe. Regardless, Dumon got up and ran down the stairs. He started looking around, then nearly screamed when he saw the shadowy figure that was standing in front of him. But when he took a closer look, Dumon found himself smiling.

Mizael.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to make sure you and Cathy are okay. Looks like you are."

"For now. But Vector strained me last night."

"Yes, I'm aware. He told me everything. Then he ran off right before I could start attacking him."

"Why does it not shock me you'd say something like that?" Dumon snickered and motioned with his tail to walk away with him. He began to bounce away, Mizael following right behind. They made their way up the stairs, then into the attic. Cathy was still asleep on the bed, and Yuma was zonked out on the hammock. _Typical,_ thought Dumon as he lay on the floor. He watched as Mizael walked over to the window, staring out it idly before walking to the darker part of the room and sitting down. Dumon chuckled, then sighed and shut his eyes.

Hopefully, now he and Cathy would be protected.


	7. Chapter 7: The Unwanted Outcome

She'd awoken several times that night. Cathy found herself looking around once again. Dumon was still asleep, as were Mizael and Yuma (When she first saw that Mizael was there, she nearly shrieked.)

Well, okay, everyone was there. So how come something still felt...off?

"This is so strange," Cathy muttered. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed, then let out a shrill scream. Well, she tried to anyway. Her mouth had been cupped. When Cathy turned to see just who it was that had done this to her, she was not surprised at all.

Vector.

"Keep quiet. You're my bait," Vector hissed inside Cathy's ear. The girl struggled against his grip, but it was no use. Vector was just too strong. In a matter of seconds, they were gone.

The only thing left in their place was a small piece of paper, which floated down and gently landed in Cathy's bed.

XxXxXxXx

"AHH! NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

Mizael jolted up with a start, as did Yuma. Both stared at Dumon, who had an extremely freaked-out expression on his face and a small piece of paper under his tiny paws.

"What are you screaming about?" Mizael asked.

"It's Cathy! She's been taken by Vector!"

"What?! Impossible! I was standing guard all night!"

"You fell asleep! Now Cathy is gone!"

The kitten and the blond continued to bicker as Yuma grabbed the small note. Scrawled on it in Vector's writing was this:

**I've taken your precious little sister. If you ever want to see Cathy again, then meet me on Barian World at noon. We will settle things there.**

"Holy crap." Yuma looked at the clock. 11:57 was printed on it. The pink and black-haired gulped. "We need to stop sleeping in so late."

"Correction," Mizael said. "We need to go now!"

The blond opened a portal. In an instant, Dumon was running through it. With a roll of his eyes, Mizael grabbed Yuma by the wrist and chased after him.

Maybe they'd get lucky and Vector would just be dumb enough to let Cathy go.

XxXxXxXx

"C'mon guys, this way! I can smell her!" Dumon called, running faster. For a time, Mizael and Yuma had been wondering how he could be smelling Cathy if he wasn't a dog.

Then again, she probably still smelled like cats.

They took a sharp left, then skidded to a stop. Dumon stared up with his classic confident look when he spotted Vector. Clutched in his grasp was a flailing Cathy, who wouldn't stop moving if the Earth were to quit rotating.

Dumon scowled. "Let her go Vector!"

"You'll just have to beat me first."

"At what?"

"Nothing short of a good fight."

"Sounds fine to me." Dumon, Mizael and Yuma watched as Vector tied Cathy to a nearby Baria Crystal. She yowled, but did nothing to struggle, finally seeing it was a pointless effort. The gray Barian leapt down from where he stood, then glared at Dumon.

They had a very intense stare-down with one another for a time. Finally, Dumon made the first move. He leapt at Vector, scratching the left side of his face. The kitten landed cleanly, then made his way behind the gray Barian and scratched him again.

Vector simply laughed.

"You really think that's going to be enough to stop me? Get real!" The gray Barian cackled as he lifted Dumon high from the ground. He squirmed around, then yelped when he was tossed backwards. Dumon hit one of the Baria Crystals so hard, his small body left a dent in the thing. He stood up, legs shaking, and started to breathe rather heavily again.

Cathy gulped. She was not liking where this was going.

Slowly, Dumon stood all the way up. He growled, then hissed and jumped away as Vector lunged at him. The kitten watched his opponent land with a thud, then pounced on top of him and started scratching him in a blinding fury. Vector tossed him off, then sent an energy shot flying his way.

And straight into another crystal went Dumon.

"Ohhhh...oww," Dumon moaned. He could feel the panic and the pain rising in his chest. As much as he didn't want to, he knew he had to. But before that, he needed to free Cathy. Quickly, Dumon began to race up to the crystal the girl was tied to. He dodged Vector's attacks, then cut Cathy free and raced away. Cathy slid down the side of the hill and joined Yuma and Mizael where they stood, then watched as Dumon and Vector continued to fight.

Dumon came skidding down the side of the same hill seconds after that, hissing as Vector threw some more shots at him. They smacked him head-on, making him yowl with pain.

That did it. There was only one thing he could do now. Cathy shuddered, hoping maybe he'd come up with something better to do than that. But she knew it wasn't going to happen.

A bright flash of light emitted the room. Once again, Dumon had changed forms. He stood now in his Durbe form, managing to knock Vector down multiple times. The gray Barian snarled and ran up, then drop kicked Durbe to the ground. He yelped, then cried out when he was thrown backwards.

"Durbe!" Cathy screamed, her whole body shaking. She watched as Durbe sat up slowly, then shrieked when Vector blasted him. To her horror, along with both Mizael and Yuma's, this certain blast forced Durbe back into his kitten form.

Cathy gasped silently. The count was now up to nine. That meant if Dumon changed forms one more time...

That was when she noticed he wasn't moving.

"Oh my god!" Cathy ran up and shook the fallen kitten who lay on the ground. She stared at him, tears pouring from her eyes. "Dumon! Dumon speak to me!"

"I-I'm fine."

"Tell the truth."

"I can't b-breathe."

Cathy gulped, then wailed when she was grabbed by Vector. She elbowed him hard, then grasped Dumon and began to run away.

She didn't get too far before Vector caught up, though.

"You're not getting away that easily."

"Yes we are!"

"No you aren't." Vector smacked Cathy to the ground, then yanked Dumon from her grasp. The kitten coughed up a little bit of blood, then bit Vector's arm to keep a good grip on him.

And almost instantly, Cathy knew what he was doing.

"Don't do it!"

"I don't have a choice."

"Yes you do! Just don't freakin' do it!"

"Cathy," Dumon said through teeth that were still clenched to Vector's arm. "I know you're looking out for me, but trust me. This is for your own safety."

"But, Dumon..."

"Just go!"

Cathy hesitated. Finally, she sniffled and motioned to Yuma and Mizael. They raced after her, then hid behind one of the crystals. Cathy gripped onto Yuma's arm, seeing it through even her shut eyes as the bright flash from Dumon changing forms illuminated the room.

And not only did she hear it, but she also saw it from her closed eyes. The explosion. Mizael froze instantly. Cathy peeked over the crystal, then broke down and began to cry into Yuma's chest.

Now it was true. Though Vector was gone, the one she thought of as a brother was too.


	8. Chapter 8: Sadness, then Happiness

It had been a whole week since the explosion. That meant it had been a whole week since Durbe's death. And Cathy still hadn't gotten over it.

Once again, Yuma had tried to help her feel better. Nothing seemed to work. If anything, it made her more upset. Even Mizael, who normally didn't care about humans whatsoever, came over to try and help her feel a little better. Cathy assumed it was because both of them had been really close to Durbe. The blond had brought back a trinket for the girl to keep. Durbe's old scarf. The thing she had loved the most. (Besides Durbe himself.)

And of course, Cathy had accepted it. Many tears had been involved on that day. She wore it around her neck constantly, never daring to take it off unless she was showering. After all, she wanted it in the best condition she could have it in.

"It's just not fair," Cathy whimpered. "Why did this have to happen again?! I swear if Vector hadn't been killed in that explosion too, I'd go murder him myself." The gray-haired girl stroked the fur of the kitten nearest her. She had been cooped up in her library all day, just playing with the cats that decided to walk inside.

That was about when Cathy noticed the open book on the table.

"Huh?" Cathy wondered aloud as she stood up, staring at it. She felt a few tears forming at the edges of her eyes when she realized what book it was. This was the one Durbe had been reading when he first came back as a kitten.

Silence. And stillness.

Cathy slowly lifted the book up. It was still turned to the page Durbe had been on and everything.

Suddenly, Cathy felt something rubbing against her leg. The gray-haired girl looked down, her eyes wide when she saw the certain kitten that was against her.

Dumon.

"H-How?! You were killed! It's just not possible!"

"Well obviously it is. I'm standing right in front of you."

"But...but I don't get it. You exploded. Which, in theory, means you should be deader than dead. Yet here you are, staring right at me and I don't even know how this happened!"

Dumon smiled up at Cathy. "I'm pretty sure I figured that out. Vector thought he made me, the whole me, explode. He really only made my human half explode, though."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes. I know it's strange, but listen. He was planning on making me explode. But he had a flaw. Only the half I was in at that moment would perish. My other one would be fine."

"So you mean only half of you is gone?"

"That's a simpler way of putting it, but yes." Dumon rubbed against Cathy's leg, purring and meowing. The gray-haired girl lifted him, then nuzzled him affectionately.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Cathy whispered.

XxXxXxXx

A few hours had passed since Cathy and Dumon had first seen one another again. Now, Cathy was asleep on the couch, softly snoring in a purr-like fashion as she rolled over. Dumon smiled and leapt next to her, gently poking her with his claws. When she didn't wake, he shrugged and lay down next to her.

And seconds after that, Yuma came bursting through the door. Cathy jolted up with a yowl, sending Dumon flying onto the ceiling fan. (Literally.)

"Is it true?" Yuma asked, jumping up and down. "Is Dumon okay? Just not his human half?"

"How did you know about this?" Dumon questioned, dropping down from the fan. He looked up at Cathy, who blushed slightly.

"I might've told him."

"Not cool Cathy."

"He had the right to know."

"Hey! Enough chitchat! Is he okay or what?" Yuma butted in, his arms flailing up and down with tornado-like speed. He watched as Dumon slapped a paw to his forehead. _Simpleton_, the kitten thought.

Cathy was somewhat agitated as well. She rolled her eyes, then sighed. "Duh, Yuma," she said in a know-it-all tone. "Dumon is fine. He's sitting right next to me for crying out loud!"

"He is?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm going to say yes because you told me so."

Dumon smacked his other paw to his forehead and moaned. "It hurts," he muttered.

"What does?" Cathy asked, petting Dumon on the back.

"His unbelievable amount of trivial stupidity!"

"HEY!" Yuma yelled, steam rolling out his ears. (Again, literally.)

Now Cathy started to laugh. She watched as Dumon and Yuma began to fight with one another, the kitten's fur standing on end. Yuma on the other hand was angered, but he wasn't smart enough to block half of the attacks that were thrown at him. He rolled off the couch, then started to smack Dumon. The kitten did the same back, making small marks appear on Yuma's arms from his claws. A bright flash came from behind Cathy, startling her. She smiled upon seeing Mizael.

"Is it true?" he asked. "Durbe's okay? His human half was the only thing besides Vector that was killed off?"

"Yes," Cathy answered. She and Mizael both turned and watched. Now Yuma and Dumon were rolling on the floor, wrestling one another and doing whatever they could to attack.

But Cathy and Mizael didn't care. Dumon was fine now. He was in no danger of exploding...again. Cathy smirked. The only danger the kitten was in was the fact Yuma's stupidity may rub off on him. And that was very likely. _It's already happened to Girag, any way,_ Mizael thought. He watched as Dumon hissed, then walked away from Yuma, not wanting to be involved anymore. The kitten jumped on Cathy's lap, purring softly. Cathy smiled.

As long as he was safe, she didn't care too much.

**END**


End file.
